Saturday, April 07, 2012
Thomas Kinkade - painter of fantasy:There's been a lot written about the artist since he died on Friday. Opinions are all over the map, especially since he has a huge fan base. A good starting point for a balanced review of his work is here (and follow some of the links in the article). Also this comment, from an Amazon book listing: In my opinion, Mr. Kinkade falls squarely into the "wall decor" camp. For some reason, most people can't abide unadorned interior spaces. Consequently, there are millions of painters generating mountains of images designed to match the drapes and sofas for those people who feel an empty wall is somehow cheap and tacky. As long as one of these painters meets or exceeds the minimum set of 'artistic' requirements as perceived by their audience, then whatever success and popularity they enjoy is a result of marketing. Kinkade's biggest business strategy by far has been exploiting Christians --niche marketing at it's finest.
The irony is that Kinkade's work created during the 1980's was much more subtle, more skilled and less garish than what followed once the publicly traded marketing machine went into overdrive. His early plein air paintings are no better or worse than what one might see in a lot of museums. But like most painters, Kinkade reached the proverbial "fork in the road" ..and he chose to sell his soul for fame among fools and a fast buck. And each new painting thereafter shows the effect of his chasing an audience instead of letting them find him. Each new work seemed created to pander to whatever sub-niche he had yet to exploit. Also, Felix Salmon wrote about Kinkade's business and its ups and downs.
posted by Quiddity at 4/07/2012 07:12:00 PM
7 comments
He has somewhat fascinated me for years. His work nearly defines sentimentality. Gauzy, glowing schlock. And yet somehow it seems to speak to people, and so it forces you to wonder about the nature and purpose of art. If many people find meaning in it, is it, therefore, fine art?
Anonymous, if I may offer a subtle correction:
"And yet somehow it seems to speak to people, and so it forces you to wonder about the nature and purpose of people."
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